Cops: Panhandler killed, 2 officers hurt in River North

By Staff reportFebruary 23, 2011

(William…)

A person picked up for panhandling was killed and two Chicago police officers were injured as the handcuffed panhandler surprised police with a gun and fired as he was enroute to a police station in the River North neighborhood this afternoon, officials said.

The shooting happened as the man, described as an aggressive panhandler, was being driven to the Near North police district to be processed by the two police veterans near Chicago Avenue and Wells Street, police said.

At least one of the officers was shot and his injuries did not appear to be life-threatening. The other officer suffered cuts to his hand, fire officials said. The third person was dead on arrival at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford.

Chicago police, citing preliminary reports, said the officer was arresting a panhandler when the officer was shot in the back.

In a statement released this evening, police said Near North police district officers were investigating an incident of aggressive panhandling in the area at about 4 p.m.. They arrested the "combative subject" and had him handcuffed in the backseat of the car and were enroute to the station to process his arrest, according to police.

But as they drove and got to the 800 block of North Wells Street, the man produced a handgun and fired, hitting one of the officers, police said. After the man shot the gun, the officers exited the car and fired at the man, fatally wounding him, police said. A weapon was found on the scene, police said.

After the shooting, a gold Crown Victoria unmarked police car remained partly on a sidewalk on Wells Street. The rear window of the car appeared to have been shot out. Spent shells were strewn on the road behind it.

Phil Lee said he was working in an office building across the street when he heard shots. He ran to a window and saw the police car slowly rolling north on Wells Street.

Lee said he saw an officer walking behind the car and firing through the back window. The officer then walked around to the driver's side and opened the rear door and pulled a man out of the car and onto the ground, Lee said.

"Initially I thought it was one dude shooting another dude in a car," he said. "I didn't know it was a cop car."